John R. Helliwell

Newcomers to the field of structural biology, which aims to understand life at the molecular level, see a vast number of existing results and are faced with a diverse range of experimental methods. These are used singly or in various combinations, however the uncertainties of the results found are unfortunately not fully assessed. Beginning with the basic physics of describing systematic and random errors, this book aims to explore these uncertainties, by examining the accuracy of each experimental method used to determine a 3D biological macromolecule structure and its dynamics, and their various possible combinations. The book also discusses the uncertainties in our determination of atomic positions in our static structures, and our analysis of the living cell. Aimed at graduate students from a wide range of science disciplines including physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics, this book provides an overview of the topic of precision and accuracy in biological crystallography, diffraction, scattering, microscopies, and spectroscopies.

There is a limited understanding amongst scientists, students, and the public about realizing trust in scientific findings. This should be a paramount objective. Scientists and the public need to know more about the link between the philosophy of science and science research methods. There is a limited understanding of why accuracy is important and that it is not the same as precision. Also, there is often the need to be pragmatic and so measure an approximation of a real system, and the classic case is reductionism in biology versus whole organism biology. The author brings these topics together in terms of trusting in science. Features Covers how scientific truth is perceived and increases the preparedness of early career scientists. Examines the relatively new field of machine learning and artificial intelligence as applied to crystallography databases in biology and chemistry for new discoveries. Describes the major changes in digital data archiving and how vast “raw data” archives are being increasingly developed for machine learning and artificial intelligence as well as complete truth. This unique volume will be of interest to pre-university and university undergraduate students, principally in science. Presents scientific research examples from physics, chemistry, and biology together with their methodologies

This book briefs beamline providers and users on what to look for when selecting experiments for a given type of facility and beamline so that beamtime usage and effectiveness can be maximized. It navigates facility publications, as well as data management and sharing policies. Like this, the information presented helps avoid potential pitfalls between facility and user on these important post-experiment aspects. Allied analytical methods are also described in terms of their certification for confident provision and use.

This book briefs beamline providers and users on what to look for when selecting experiments for a given type of facility and beamline so that beamtime usage and effectiveness can be maximized. It navigates facility publications, as well as data management and sharing policies. Like this, the information presented helps avoid potential pitfalls between facility and user on these important post-experiment aspects. Allied analytical methods are also described in terms of their certification for confident provision and use.

Big questions and issues arise about the role of the scientific life in our society and in our world. These have to do with trusting science at all, or with the wider roles of the scientist. The Whens and Wheres of a Scientific Life serves as an epilogue to author John R. Helliwell’s scientific life trilogy of books on the Hows (i.e. skills), the Whys and the Whats of a scientific life. When and where questions play a big role in major science facility decisions. When and where also play a big role in controlling a pandemic like the coronavirus COVID-19. The consequences of such work and the role science plays in society are discussed in this book. Key Features: Discusses when and where we can make new and better things happen and make new discoveries. Explains whens and wheres as examples in basic science and explaining these to the public User friendly and concise, this text provides a wide range of examples of science and discovery The author has diverse experience in career development, teaching and research The importance of open data to the reproducibility of science are described

There is a limited understanding amongst scientists, students, and the public about realizing trust in scientific findings. This should be a paramount objective. Scientists and the public need to know more about the link between the philosophy of science and science research methods. There is a limited understanding of why accuracy is important and that it is not the same as precision. Also, there is often the need to be pragmatic and so measure an approximation of a real system, and the classic case is reductionism in biology versus whole organism biology. The author brings these topics together in terms of trusting in science.FeaturesCovers how scientific truth is perceived and increases the preparedness of early career scientists.Examines the relatively new field of machine learning and artificial intelligence as applied to crystallography databases in biology and chemistry for new discoveries.Describes the major changes in digital data archiving and how vast “raw data” archives are being increasingly developed for machine learning and artificial intelligence as well as complete truth.This unique volume will be of interest to pre-university and university undergraduate students, principally in science.Presents scientific research examples from physics, chemistry, and biology together with their methodologies

Being, or wanting to become, a scientist requires academic training in the science subjects. To succeed as a research scientist and educator requires specific as well as general skills. Skills for a Scientific Life provides insight into how to be successful. This career book is intended for potential entrants, early career and mid-career scientists for a wide range of science disciplines.FeaturesOffers advice on specific skills for research article writing, grant writing, and refereeing as well as teaching undergraduates and supervising postgraduatesProvides helpful case studies resulting from the author's teaching and mentoring experienceContributes a special emphasis on skills for realizing wider impacts such as sustainability and gender equalityPresents several chapters on leadership skills both in academe and in government serviceConcludes with an emphasis on the author’s overall underpinning of the topics from the point of view of ethics

The first in the Focus Series on Global Science Education, The Whys of a Scientific Life examines why scientists do what they do. Working from a diverse background in scientific research, including academic departments of physics and chemistry, as well as the scientific civil service, the author describes the choices scientists make. Fundamentally, a scientist asks questions based on curiosity. In addition, the environment is very important. By influencing their elected governments, society itself shapes the scientific research that is undertaken by scientists. This book follows on naturally from the author’s last book, Skills for a Scientific Life, which is a how-to guide for scientists and those that aspire to engage in science as a career.Key Features:User friendly and concise, this text dissects the whys of science and discoveryThe author has outstanding experience in mentoring science students and staff, and also in outreach activities for the public and students of all ages including schoolsThe final chapter emphasises the joys of the scientist in research

This book completes a scientific life trilogy of books following on from the Hows (i.e. skills) and the Whys is now the Whats of a scientific life. Starting with just what is science, then on to what is physics, what is chemistry and what is biology the book discusses career situations in terms of types of obstacles faced. There follow examples of what science has achieved as well as plans and opportunities. The contexts for science are dependencies of science on mathematics, how science cuts across disciplines, and the importance of engineering and computer software. What science is as a process is that it is distinctly successful in avoiding or dealing with failures. Most recently a radical change in what is science is the merger of the International Council of Scientific Unions and the International Social Sciences Council. Key Features:Dissects what is science and its contextsProvides wide ranging case studies of science and discovery based directly on the author’s many decades in scienceThe author has outstanding experience in mentoring and career development, and also in outreach activities for the public and students of all agesThe world of science today involves a merger of ‘the sciences’ and the ‘social sciences’

Big questions and issues arise about the role of the scientific life in our society and in our world. These have to do with trusting science at all, or with the wider roles of the scientist. The Whens and Wheres of a Scientific Life serves as an epilogue to author John R. Helliwell’s scientific life trilogy of books on the Hows (i.e. skills), the Whys and the Whats of a scientific life. When and where questions play a big role in major science facility decisions. When and where also play a big role in controlling a pandemic like the coronavirus COVID-19. The consequences of such work and the role science plays in society are discussed in this book. Key Features: Discusses when and where we can make new and better things happen and make new discoveries. Explains whens and wheres as examples in basic science and explaining these to the public User friendly and concise, this text provides a wide range of examples of science and discovery The author has diverse experience in career development, teaching and research The importance of open data to the reproducibility of science are described

Crystallography is one of the most multidisciplinary sciences, with roots in fields as varied as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, materials science, computation and earth and planetary science. The structural knowledge gained from crystallography has been instrumental in acquiring new levels of understanding in numerous scientific areas. Perspectives in Crystallography provides an overview of the current state of the field, reviews its historical origins and explains how crystallography contributes to the sustainability of life. This book resonates with the recent United Nations and UNESCO International Year of Crystallography, a celebration of its achievements and importance, undertaken with the International Union of Crystallography.The author of this book is the editor in chief of Crystallography Reviews, where some of the contents have been previously published. Here, subjects of interest to specialists and non-specialists have been brought together in a single source. The book opens with a description of the ways to explain crystallography to diverse general audiences. It also addresses various topics in crystallography, including:The evolution and importance of synchrotron radiation to crystallographyThe structural chemistry and biology of colouration in marine crustaceaPredicting protonation states of proteins versus crystallographic experimentationThe book then offers a projection of crystal structure analysis in the next 100 years and concludes by emphasizing the societal impacts of crystallography that allow for sustainability of life.Perspectives in Crystallography offers a threefold look into the past, present and long-term development and relevance of crystal structure analysis. It is concerned not only with the state of the field, but with its role in the perpetuation of life on earth. As such, it is a reference of vital interest to a bro

This book completes a scientific life trilogy of books following on from the Hows (i.e. skills) and the Whys is now the Whats of a scientific life. Starting with just what is science, then on to what is physics, what is chemistry and what is biology the book discusses career situations in terms of types of obstacles faced. There follow examples of what science has achieved as well as plans and opportunities. The contexts for science are dependencies of science on mathematics, how science cuts across disciplines, and the importance of engineering and computer software. What science is as a process is that it is distinctly successful in avoiding or dealing with failures. Most recently a radical change in what is science is the merger of the International Council of Scientific Unions and the International Social Sciences Council. Key Features:Dissects what is science and its contextsProvides wide ranging case studies of science and discovery based directly on the author’s many decades in scienceThe author has outstanding experience in mentoring and career development, and also in outreach activities for the public and students of all agesThe world of science today involves a merger of ‘the sciences’ and the ‘social sciences’

The first in the Focus Series on Global Science Education, The Whys of a Scientific Life examines why scientists do what they do. Working from a diverse background in scientific research, including academic departments of physics and chemistry, as well as the scientific civil service, the author describes the choices scientists make. Fundamentally, a scientist asks questions based on curiosity. In addition, the environment is very important. By influencing their elected governments, society itself shapes the scientific research that is undertaken by scientists. This book follows on naturally from the author’s last book, Skills for a Scientific Life, which is a how-to guide for scientists and those that aspire to engage in science as a career.Key Features:User friendly and concise, this text dissects the whys of science and discoveryThe author has outstanding experience in mentoring science students and staff, and also in outreach activities for the public and students of all ages including schoolsThe final chapter emphasises the joys of the scientist in research

Being, or wanting to become, a scientist requires academic training in the science subjects. To succeed as a research scientist and educator requires specific as well as general skills. Skills for a Scientific Life provides insight into how to be successful. This career book is intended for potential entrants, early career and mid-career scientists for a wide range of science disciplines.FeaturesOffers advice on specific skills for research article writing, grant writing, and refereeing as well as teaching undergraduates and supervising postgraduatesProvides helpful case studies resulting from the author's teaching and mentoring experienceContributes a special emphasis on skills for realizing wider impacts such as sustainability and gender equalityPresents several chapters on leadership skills both in academe and in government serviceConcludes with an emphasis on the author’s overall underpinning of the topics from the point of view of ethics

Crystallography is one of the most multidisciplinary sciences, with roots in fields as varied as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, materials science, computation and earth and planetary science. The structural knowledge gained from crystallography has been instrumental in acquiring new levels of understanding in numerous scientific areas. Perspectives in Crystallography provides an overview of the current state of the field, reviews its historical origins and explains how crystallography contributes to the sustainability of life. This book resonates with the recent United Nations and UNESCO International Year of Crystallography, a celebration of its achievements and importance, undertaken with the International Union of Crystallography.The author of this book is the editor in chief of Crystallography Reviews, where some of the contents have been previously published. Here, subjects of interest to specialists and non-specialists have been brought together in a single source. The book opens with a description of the ways to explain crystallography to diverse general audiences. It also addresses various topics in crystallography, including:The evolution and importance of synchrotron radiation to crystallographyThe structural chemistry and biology of colouration in marine crustaceaPredicting protonation states of proteins versus crystallographic experimentationThe book then offers a projection of crystal structure analysis in the next 100 years and concludes by emphasizing the societal impacts of crystallography that allow for sustainability of life.Perspectives in Crystallography offers a threefold look into the past, present and long-term development and relevance of crystal structure analysis. It is concerned not only with the state of the field, but with its role in the perpetuation of life on earth. As such, it is a reference of vital interest to a bro

The crystallization of proteins and nucleic acids and/or their complexes has become more highly automated but is still often a trial and error based approach. In parallel, a number of X-ray diffraction based techniques have been developed which explain the physical reasons limiting the resulting crystallographic data and thus show how that data may be improved. Crystal growth is also pivotal in neutron crystallography, which establishes the hydrogen and hydration aspects. Thus this book is aimed at addressing the science behind obtaining the best and most complete structural data possible for biological macromolecules, so that the detailed structural biology and chemistry of these important molecules emerge. Crystal imperfections such as twinning and lattice disorders, as well as multiple crystal situations, and their possible remedies, are also described. The small crystal frontier in micro-crystal crystallography, crystallites in powders and finally down to the proposed single molecule structure determination of X-ray lasers are covered. Overall this interdisciplinary book will interest crystal growers, X-ray and neutron physicists and the biological crystallographers, including graduate students.

This highly illustrated monograph provides a comprehensive study of the structure and function of proteins, nucleic acids and viruses using synchrotron radiation and crystallography. Synchrotron radiation is intense, polychromatic and finely collimated, and is highly effective for probing the structure of macromolecules. This is a fast-expanding field, and this timely monograph gives a complete introduction to the technique and its uses. Beginning with chapters on the fundamentals of macromolecular crystallography and macromolecular structure, the book goes on to review the sources and properties of synchrotron radiation, instrumentation and data collection. There are chapters on the Laue method, on diffuse X-ray scattering and on variable wavelength dispersion methods. The book concludes with a description and survey of applications including studies at high resolution, the use of small crystals, the study of large unit cells, and time-resolved crystallography (particularly of enzymes). Appendices are provided which present essential information for the synchrotron user as well as information about synchrotron facilities currently available. A detailed bibliography and reference section completes the volume. Many tables, diagrams and photographs are included.